Nicholas has two weapons that he employs when summoning is not an option- a Magitek grade “Gokuu” staff of reinforced metal and what Nick claims to be dragon bone, and a set of “Type 108” large rosary beads around his neck that can break apart at will and pummel a foe into submission. While useful and utterly devastating when allowed to go full power, these are Nicholas’ secondary forms of attack- he far prefers summoning to melee engagements. The reality is, choosing a weapon for a mage is a sort of ironic deal- even a weapon a mage feels comfortable with is usually meant as a focus for their powers rather than any real combat purposes besides last ditch attacks. In terms of use, the rod is for situations in which Nicholas is free to repeatedly summon, while the beads allow for ranged assault and some defensive quality. (Why a summoner would need to shoot someone is a question that has been asked and ignored ad infinitum. Nick does relent that the beads orbiting quality looks cool, however… and what mage doesn’t have a staff?)

Nick’s armor is a light-weight military grade summoner’s vestment, designed to make someone who is inherently squishy less so. Some mages may balk at the very idea of wearing unfashionable Kevlar robes. They tend to die quickly and so Nick has given no such complaint.

Adjustment: +40 MP per tier above 1, +6 Power per tier above 1. +11 HP per level.“Let the heaven sing the praises of the mercy-bearer, who soul is unblemished and wings of light! Seraphim, come forth!”

Nick came to Ramuh’s temple a youth of fifteen, against the advice of family and friends. Young, spry, in humble clothes.

It was something Ramuh had seen before time and time again. Idiot youths who had seen the power summoners wielded, wanting to have that for their own. This youth, doubtlessly, was no different.

The Lord of Thunder observed all new hopefuls. Nick was no special case. He noted very few things of interest of the boy. He did not flinch when Ramuh bellowed the rules he was to follow in a voice like thunder. He was respectful and compliant. He was not openly vain.

Yet still Ramuh had seen so many like him, who showed devotion outwardly and had hearts of malice, unfit to even be scribes for the church, let alone summoners.

He stared into Nick’s soul with a piercing gaze that had reduced grown men to shuddering wrecks. Nicholas staggered, but that was forgivable- what mortal could endure the lightning brilliant gaze of Ramuh for but an instant, let alone a piercing look at one’s spirit.

There was magic, there was spirit, two necessary components for a summoner. Or a mage of any sort.

“Because I want to become a summoner. Because I was told…” the youth barely was able to stand under Ramuh’s withering glare. “…that it was the hardest to master.”

Pride. Ramuh broke his gaze in disgust. He couldn’t fault the boy for wanting to be a summoner, after all, but still he held the reeking taint of vanity to him. He made his mind then and there to teach the idiot humility about exceeding his grasp. Maybe then he would go and make a worthy mage of another stripe.

“And you think yourself the caliber?” Ramuh, with effort for one so great, restrained the contempt in his voice. “The path of the summoner is not for the feeble of flesh, mind, or spirit. For a fragile spirit to take one of us into them is akin to pouring molten steel into a reed pot- it is consumed from within in but an instant. Endure twenty one days without food or drink.” Ramuh noted the amused expressions from the senior summoners in the church, such a test was meant to drive away those deemed unworthy. “If you ingest neither morsel nor drop, I shall consider you.”

Nick bowed his head, and sat on the temple floor.

Ramuh blinked. A show of bravado, nothing more. “Offer him food and water when he ends his foolishness.” He said aloud, no longer holding back his disdain.

And Ramuh left in a flash of lightning.

Three weeks went by, and Ramuh had seen other potentials, driving away many with insane tasks, accepting others with harsh trials, and the memory of Nicholas faded from his mind until a senior summoner informed him that someone had died in the church.

Only when he saw the dehydrated, emaciated corpse of Nick did Ramuh recall the trial he had imposed.

For a solid minute the Lord of Thunder stared at the body, until finally, he called for a white mage to revive the boy and water to restore him to something more alive than beef jerky.

Once Nicholas’ spirit had been called back from the world of the dead, Ramuh allowed his exasperation to erupt, a rare display of a mercenary god losing their composure. “Are you insane?!” He bellowed, making the doctors and white mages stagger away from Nick. “Did you honestly expect to survive twenty one days without a drink of water?”

“Yes,” Nick replied in a feeble whisper. “because you thought I was able, didn’t you?”

For several uncomfortable minutes Ramuh stood there, one part of him impressed, one part of him unnerved that anyone would go to such extremes. “I say again, Nicholas,” he spoke in a rumble, once he had collected his thoughts. “You could have been a black mage. A red mage. Your persistence and endurance would have made you an ideal blue mage. Why. Have. You. Come. Here?!”

In as much reverence as one who had recently been pulled back from death and desiccation could muster, Nick replied in a wheeze, “I told you, Lord- I want to be a summoner… because I was told it was hardest to master.”

Ramuh considered this answer carefully. Wasn’t a requirement of his that a summoner truly want to endure this path wholeheartedly? Had it not been a virtue he had espoused to persevere when all others say you will not?

Nick could be the ideal summoner, but he could simply be insane.

Calling aside one senior summoner, Ramuh staggered with disbelief. “Train him, but watch the lunatic. See that he eats, bathes, and drinks regularly.”

It has been four years since Ramuh’s bewildered acceptance of Nicholas. In that time, Fenrir, Kirin, and Seraphim were also bound to Nick’s spirit. While Ramuh was, in the end, impressed (if not horrified) that Nick adhered to the suicidal task, he resolved to simply reject unsatisfactory candidates from then on.

The tongue lashing Bahamut gave him for the stunt still made his ears burn.

Personality

Nick is determined in the same sense the sun is hot. While this doesn’t mean he’s inflexible about how he achieves his goals, take it from Ramuh- it takes killing him to make him stop. Alternatively, piss him off- killing children will get Nick- and by extension Ramuh’s- full and undivided attention.

EIDOLON- ALEXANDER
Rank 4, EP Cost 14

A mecha not unlike the Alexander of myth drops onto the battlefield, shaking the earth to it’s foundations, cables pouring out to pull allies into cockpits as Nicholas remains outside to do what he does best- call down the gods’ wrath. While not anywhere near the legendary power of the fabled beast Alexander, this tribute to a hypothetical aeon is a potent emulation of light elemental power. Some may wonder why such a blasphemous endeavor has not been struck down. Popular opinion is that Alexander finds it appropriate- and darkly amusing- when Nicholas uses it to vaporize the sadistic.
==Specialist==
8 ATK, 8 VIT, 8 SPD, 8 MAG.

A: Holy

W: Shadow

+50 HP per tier.

Bonus Status: [Brave/Faith/Protect/Shell]

Treat all enemies as if their element resistance was one step closer to Weak for all Holy damage.

Any time the Summoner is targeted by an offensive ability used by the enemy, the Eidolon receives a +25% situational modifier to any [Elemental 1] damage that they deal for the rest of the battle. If the damage on the ability was Holy, the damage bonus is +50% instead.

Any time the Eidolon is hit for single target damage or healed, the bonus damage drops by -25%, while if hit by [Element 2] single target damage, this bonus damage drops by -50%. The bonus damage granted to the Eidolon by this effect can never be reduced below +0%.

Ability

Delay

CoS

Target

Keywords

Effect

Attack

40D

80

Single

Technique, Weapon

Deals ATK x [3 + 3xTier] + d8 physical damage.

Holy Charge

40D

100

Single

Magic, Enhancement

Bestows Bar-Holy and Holy Sword (6). Can only target the summoner.

Overload

60D

80

Single

Technique, Weapon

Deals ATK x [5 + 5xTier] + d12 physical Holy damage. The enemies affinity toward Holy in moved one step closer to Weak until the Eidolon is no longer on the field. Can be stacked.

If the last move used by the Eidolon was Wave, gain +15 CoS and a +25% situational damage modifier.

If the last move used by the Eidolon was Blast, gain a +50% situational damage modifier. ||
FINISHER: Obliteration- Final Judgment (Headsman)

How does one emulate the awe-inspiring, all consuming holy devastation that is Alexander’s trademark?

Simple. You don’t.

The Alexander mech instead focuses on a single enemy, internal crystals going into overdrive to produce a single beam of such intense power that looking directly at it unprotected is all but guaranteed to induce temporary blindness. The white hot catastrophe inflicts MAG x [8 + 8xTier] + d12 (312+3d12) magical Holy damage with 50% more damage for each charge, but such a payload means the Alexander unit is completely exhausted and must return for recharging and repairs.